


The Green Rose

by SpellCasterLight



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Character Death, F/M, Kidnapping, Major Character Injury, Slight Character OCC-ness, Swearing, Unrealistic Police Procedures, Unrealistic medical procedures, Violence, mentions of past trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:27:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29419383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpellCasterLight/pseuds/SpellCasterLight
Summary: "Whatever," the Senior Detective waved a hand to throw his comment away. "The point is any woman who looks like that, especially ones who wears heels that high; in my experience, only bring trouble." [Shikamaru x Hinata] [Shino x Tenten] Naruto AU Week - Day 7 Prompt: Free Day (Police Station AU)
Relationships: Aburame Shino/Tenten, Hyuuga Hinata/Nara Shikamaru
Kudos: 4
Collections: Naruto AU Week 2021





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. This story is purely for entertainment not profit.
> 
> Author's Notes: Naruto AU Week day 7 and final day! I have had this sitting around for months, brought on by watching too much 'The Closer' and 'Rizzoli and Isles'. It was time to try and make something of it! At least the first few chapters in time for the 'Free Day'!
> 
> Happy Valentines day everyone! =D
> 
> Pairing Warning: It also goes without saying but if [Shikamaru x Hinata] or [Shino x Tenten] isn't your thing turn back now.
> 
> Warnings: Alternative Universe. Unrealistic Police Procedures. Unrealistic Medical Procedures. Swearing. Violence. Kidnapping. Slight Character OCC-ness. Mentions of Past Trauma. Major Character Injury. Major Character Death.
> 
> Naruto AU Week - Day 7 Prompt: Free Day (Police Station AU)

The ponytailed brown haired, twenty-nine-year-old, wearing a faded green t-shirt and black boot cut jeans got out of the car and, holding his coffee cup for dear life, made his way towards the taped off area in the popular Konohagakure Park. He didn't have to say anything to the officer he approached, that was guarding the makeshift perimeter, he simply motioned to the badge attached to his belt and he was let under the tape.

He approached another man, same age and hair colour, wearing a more professional blue button shirt and formal black trousers and dark tinted sunglasses that caught the suns light, who was also holding a takeaway cup of tea; he knew it was tea because they often had arguments about coffee vs tea in the mornings; neither had yet to surrender.

"Today is going to be a total drag," he said in way of a 'good morning' before groaning and taking a sip from his container.

"And you know this; how?" His companion asked taking a sip of his own drink.

Shikamaru Nara sighed into his coffee cup and Shino Aburame turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"When we get a call before our alarms are supposed to go off you know it's gonna be a shit day."

Shino turned his gaze skyward, the Aburame's version of a sigh. "I cannot; argue; with that logic."

Shikamaru turned his head this way and that before he actually turned around fully hoping he missed who he was looking for.

"Where's Tenten?"

The Aburame took his phone off his belt and had only unlocked it when a voice behind them spoke up.

"Who the hell is that weirdo?"

The Nara didn't need to turn around to know who the uniformed officer was talking about but did anyway.

A woman of thirty, with her brown hair secured in two buns on either side of her head, wearing a sleeveless white top with a cartoon dinosaur on it with the words 'I eat non-believers!' below it; she also wore red tartan trousers complete with black combat boots. Her usual black medical kit bag thrown over her shoulder.

In Shikamaru's peripheral vision he saw Shino turn to the officer that had spoken before.

"That is the most; talented; Medical Examiner in the village; so you show some respect."

Tenten ran the last few steps waving wildly and beaming a sunshine bright smile.

"Shino! Shikamaru! Good morning!"

"Why are you always so damn cheery?" Shikamaru asked not for the first time; her happiness at the ungodly hour almost making him drearier.

She smiled brightly, with a casual shrug of her shoulders. "It's a gift! Onwards to justice!" The brown-haired woman yelled, pumping her fist in the air, before skipping off towards why they were all there.

The officer from before gave Shino an incredulous look.

Shino pulled a thinking face. "I did not state she was not; strange."

Shikamaru and Shino stood in silence for a few minutes, giving Tenten time to do her thing before heading down the small grassy hill towards her.

"What; do we have?" Shino asked even though, from the look of the woman on the ground, they all already knew.

A woman, around the same age as Shikamaru from just a glance, with long pink hair, was lying on the ground, wearing dark jeans and a plain grey top, with her eyes closed and her hands on her stomach holding a single white rose, that had been stained, unevenly green; she could have been sleeping if it wasn't for the blood stains and open stab wounds on her chest that is.

"Looks like the same guy you two," Tenten muttered, making small movements with latex gloved hands to look at the wounds on the woman's chest. "Looks like the same stab wounds to the chest and torso and the same dyed rose as the others."

"Dammit," Shikamaru muttered. "That's a fourth victim to this asshole."

"I'll give you a full autopsy once I get her back to the lab," Tenten said standing and motioning to two men Shikamaru knew worked in the lab with her that had just arrived.

"Yes; thank you Tenten," Shino replied making Tenten smile and the sunglasses wearing man blushed slightly; Shikamaru repressed the urge to roll his eyes. Shino and Tenten had been dancing around each other for years. He didn't know if his life would be easier or more complicated if they just hurried up and got together already.

"Heard you guys got a new tech guy!" The medical examiner grinned. "How are they?"

"They; arrive; today," Shino supplied. "Whoever it is; I hope they are more efficient than Dosu."

"And quieter," the Nara added, rubbing his ear at the painful sound in his ear memories that Dosu's music brought up. "How he managed to think with how loud he played that garbage I'll never know."

"It's called; 'screamo metal'," his partner told him, already turning to walk over to the two uniformed officers, who would have been first on the scene.

"It's called 'shit that made my ears bleed'," Shikamaru replied. "Let's just get their versions of the witness statement and get the hell out of here. I need more coffee."


	2. Chapter 2

"Tayuya Sound," Shikamaru put a picture of the woman from that morning on their board to join with all the information of their current case. "Twenty-nine-year-old, musical student from the Konohagakure Arts University. Current member of the Konohagakure Orchestra. No priors, no living parents but her two brothers are on their way in now to talk to us."

The Nara took a few steps back from the board to lean on the edge of his desk and pick up a pen to twirl between his fingers, Shino at his side.

"Right so we've got four victims. All different heights, ages, hair colours and professions. What am I missing here?"

"Anything that connects them; apart from the park?" The Aburame said bluntly.

Shikamaru sighed throwing the pen he was playing with onto the desk behind him. "Yea basically."

"Victims of opportunity?" Shino suggested tapping his fingers against the wood. "Maybe it doesn't matter who they are; as long as they're female; and in the park at the early hours?"

"I hate victims of opportunity," The Senor Detective muttered scratching his forehead. "Makes it so much harder to catch the basterd."

"All victims are awful," Shino replied firmly.

"What a drag, you're young; you'll learn that victims of opportunity rack up more bodies because it's so much harder to connect them to the killer."

The Aburame turned to him at that with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Shikamaru; we are the same age."

"Yes; and I have been a Homicide Detective for three years longer than you and also a Detective, period, for another two. So not only do I outrank you; I get to play the old cop in the room if it's just the two of us."

Shino, used to Shikamaru's strange way of talking simply shrugged, letting the Nara have his own mopey way.

"Excuse me?" Both detectives looked up. "The latest victim's brothers are here."

"Right; thank you," Shino supplied when Shikamaru turned back to staring at the board. "Can you put the two brothers in one room please? There's no need; to separate them."

The Nara gave a deep sigh, he hated interviewing family members after they had just experienced a tragedy. He knew that feeling. There was nothing that could compare.

"Let's go."

* * *

A quick rechecking of Tayuya's file told them that her brothers were twins called Sakon and Ukon.

Their grey hair and fair skin only seemed to make the red around their eyes from tears for their sister only more obvious.

As was their usual with these types of family interviews the Senior Detective let his partner start the ball rolling. It was easier for him, he could sympathise with the family, but he couldn't, thankfully, empathise with them.

"Thank you; for coming in to see us," Shino started offering his hand to which one of the brothers took in a shaky grasp. "We are very sorry for your loss. We just have; a couple of questions."

The Aburame motioned for them to sit and they both sat in clucky unsteady motions, Shikamaru and Shino sitting on the other side of the table.

"Can you tell us a little; about your sister?"

Both brothers looked at each other then before speaking in low tones filled with grief.

"Tayuya is- _was_ an artist," one of them started before sniffing and letting his head fall back a little, trying to blink away fresh tears, the first time you had to speak about a loved one in the past tense always slammed you in the gut like a physical punch. "I mean yes sure we're all musicians, but she was really going places you know? She just won the first chair in the Konohagakure Orchestra for her flute playing. Her music was beautiful."

"That is impressive," Shikamaru complimented lightly making both brothers give silent smiles.

And it was, the Konohagakure Orchestra was known for having the only the best of the best musically talented wise, winning first chair at her age meant she was extremely hard working and gifted.

"So; music; was her life?" Shino continued.

"Oh yes," the other brother laughed lightly. "No boys, no parties; just her and her flute."

"Can you think of anyone; who would want to hurt her? Someone she might have had an argument with? Maybe; a fellow orchestra member? Or an ex-boyfriend?"

Both brothers looked at each other again and when one shook their head to say no the other replied.

"She pretty much kept to herself. Like we said she was happiest when she was by herself with just her music."

If it wasn't anything personal motivating her death, they were thrown back to the idea of a victim of opportunity.

"One more thing then; can you tell us why she was at the park; so early in the morning?"

One brother leant back in his chair then, his forehead falling into his palm, a sign of this becoming too hard to handle but the other one replied.

"There is a bridge she likes to play under, she likes the acoustics it gives," he forced himself to swallow before continuing. "But if she went during the day people stopped and watched and cheered. She said it threw off the sound."

The Aburame had to ask. "Did she; go there often?"

"Every Tuesday and Thursday," both the victim's brothers quickly replied with small head nods. "Before she went to class."

Shikamaru internally sighed. Nothing a stalker or murderer liked more than routine.

"Okay; that's everything we have for now thank you for your time."

"When can we see her?" One of the brothers asked, his voice taking on a watery tone, even as they did stand and follow the police officers to the door.

The Nara lightly clenched his fist. He hated that question, he felt like the bad guy saying, in a polite way "no you can't see your loved one sorry about that".

"Our Medical Examiner has to finish her examination before she can be released, I'm afraid."

And as usual, the family understood but weren't happy about it.

Shino and Shikamaru, after confirming they would return their sister into their care as soon as they could, they got a uniformed officer to escort them out of the building.

"You heard that? Every Tuesday; and Thursday," Shino asked hinting at the same thoughts he had earlier. "So; if anyone was following her; they would know that."

"So, we have a loner who is really good at playing the flute," Shikamaru stated going to stand in front of their case board again. "What does that give us? The first two victims were loud party girls who would talk to anyone and the third was an artist that had a small constant group of friends and a baby at home."

His partner stood beside him again. "If these are just victims of opportunity; then victimology is going to tell us nothing. Let's hope Tenten; has something for us."

Shikamaru hmm'd in agreement. "What a drag, but first coffee."

He could actually feel Shino's disapproving stare at the back of his neck as he turned to head towards the break room.

"You really shouldn't drink so much coffee; Shikamaru."

The Nara rolled his eyes openly. "Look the doctor said I smoked too much and drank too much coffee. I gave up smoking; that's enough for one lifetime."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello boys!" The medical doctor greeted the detectives cheerily when they entered her lab.

Shikamaru shivered. Tenten's morgue had to be cold to avoid decomposition of the body she was working on, but he never seemed to get used to, the bun haired woman compensated by having jumpers and hoodies seemingly all over the place. The one she was currently wearing under her white coat was a bright pink today.

"Tenten," Shino greeted back with a small nod making her grin widen.

"Give us something we can work with I'm begging you," Shikamaru continued.

Her smile and arms both fell to be replaced with a sad grimace and a shrug.

"Can't do that I'm afraid I can only give you bad news."

Shikamaru held back the urge to groan, that was exactly what they didn't want.

"What is it? Lay it on us."

She motioned for them to come closer to her autopsy table.

"The knife wounds are smaller than the previous wounds, no less deadly but even more precise," she motioned with her gloved covered hands to several of the wounds on their laid out half covered victim from earlier. "He would need to get closer to them to kill them with a smaller blade like that."

"Which means he is getting more comfortable with his crimes," Shino surmised making Shikamaru actually groan that time before muttering under his breath a few choice swear words.

"There's one more thing," Tenten moved around his partner to move to a different table where the victim's clothes and possessions lay. "The rose on her chest," the bun haired woman pointed to the flower, not moving to pick it up. "It wasn't placed gently on her this time; I found thorns from the rose's stem that had broken off and were embedded deep in her chest wounds."

Shikamaru hoped that didn't mean what he thought it did.

"Meaning?"

Tenten scrunched up her face in displeasure then, that was never a good sign.

"He pushed the rose into her chest instead of just laying it on her. With force," she made the motion of pushing her thumbs into something. "Almost like he wanted the rose to be the final stabbing."

Yeap, she meant exactly what he thought she did.

"Right," the Senior Detective scratched his forehead already feeling a headache start. "Tenten thank you."

She dropped her arms then with an apologetic look. "I wish I could be more help, but it's the same there's no DNA or fibres I can find that aren't hers."

The Nara turned to his partner then.

"If what we feared is true learning about the victims is useless, we need to look at the actual crime itself to find something we need to-"

Both detective's phones buzzed at that moment.

Shikamaru picked his phone off his belt attachment and opened the message.

"Who the hell is Hinata Hyuga? And why are they texting us?"

"She's your new tech girl!" Tenten replied with a grin and a hand clap. "I went up to see her earlier, we went out for morning coffee; she's so pretty! Like a life size doll! I just want to take her home and feed her rainbow cupcakes."

The Nara saw Shino's lips twitch upwards; she did always bring him as close to laughing as the Aburame ever came.

"And with that imagine in my head; time to meet the new tech girl then," Shikamaru muttered heading for the door, with a lazy thank you wave thrown over his shoulder.

"Thank you Tenten," Shino replied with a small bow of his head before heading off after his partner.

"Be safe you guys! And be nice to her!"

* * *

Shikamaru put his hand on the computer room door for a second and blinked at what he saw through the glass.

A woman, about their age was standing at a standing desk typing away on a keyboard. She had long waist length straight purple hair and big expressive white eyes. She was wearing a knee length light green office dress with a thin black belt around her waist and high heels of the same colour, the heel being at least three inches high.

The Nara groaned in annoyance before pulling Shino back a few paces.

"Management have _got_ to be kidding Shino."

Shino tilted his head. "In regard to what?"

"Did you _see_ her?"

The Aburame popped his head round to look through the glass door before looking at his partner again. "Yes; and?"

The Nara glared at him. "What do you mean "yea and?" look at her!"

His partner actually stood taller and crossed his arms as if he was about to tell off a child.

"Please tell me you are not complaining because she is a woman?"

Shikamaru gave him a 'give me a break' look. "I don't care if she's a woman Shino, you know me better than that. I know Tenten does an amazing job don't I? What I care about is that she looks like she just came out of a freaking Barbie magazine!"

Shino popped his head around again before giving Shikamaru a look. "She has purple hair and white eyes; what Barbie dolls did you see; growing up?"

"Whatever," the Senior Detective waved a hand to throw his comment away. "The point is any woman who looks like that, especially ones who wears heels that high; in my experience, only bring trouble."

If his partner showed more emotion Shikamaru got the feeling Shino would have scoffed at him.

"For a certified genius; you can be rather juvenile. Would it not be beneficial; to actually meet her before having an opinion?"

* * *

As soon as they opened the door the woman turned her head to see who it was with a bright smile.

"Oh he-hello!"

"Good morning, Shino started I'm Detective Shino Aburame and this is Senior Detective Shikamaru Nara."

Shikamaru didn't miss the scared look she donned for a second when her gaze took in their firearms.

"So, you're Shi-Shino and Shi-Shikamaru! You look just li-like Tenten described!"

"Right;" the Nara didn't even want to _think_ about what their enthusiastic Medical Office told her about them, about him in particular. "What did you call us for?"

The woman actually tapped the tips of her first fingers together in an obvious show of nervousness before starting.

"I did a cross ch-check of all four of your victims and di-didn't find any overlap. They all went to dif-different universities, worked in different buildings, visited different ba-bars, had different gym memberships ev-even. So; I started thinking dif-differently. The roses from the crime sc-scene photos that Tenten was ni-nice enough to show me," the computer tech made a face to say it wasn't nice at all. "Are a br-breed of white rose called 'White Tibet Ro-Roses'. And they are not native. So, e-either whoever is using them is gr-growing them himself or-"

"He's buying them in," Shikamaru finished.

"Ye-Yes," She turned to the computer now and brought up a map of Konohagakure village. "I did a c-check; Konohagakure has nine flower sh-shops and a further se-seventeen shops that sell cut fl-flowers. Supermarkets, gift sh-shops things like that."

After a few button presses twenty-six red dots appeared on the map all over the village.

"That is going to be; very; time consuming," Shino muttered.

The Nara sighed with a mutter of his catchphrase; it was going to be a long, boring couple of days.

"Oh, don't wo-worry!" Hinata quickly added. "I've narrowed it down for you! According to their online website offerings only these four flower shops sell this kind of white rose."

Four dots where left on the map with their names and address beside them.

Silence fell in the room as the Nara replayed everything that happened. That was so much information and she had just started, they now had four narrowed down semi solid leads on where to take the investigation. If they had been waiting on their previous computer guy to do that they would have been waiting for days.

"How long have you been in the building?"

"Oh! Umm-" she checked the time on the screen. "–May-maybe three hours."

Shikamaru took a long blink.

"You did a background check on our victims and came up with this in that time?"

"I'm s-sorry I was so s-slow!" The purple haired girl immediately worried, holding her hands to her chest. "I was jus-"

"Stop," Shikamaru held up a hand to stop her apologising, still looking at the map on the screen. "No, that's brilliant. Good job," Shino's head whipped round to stare at him at that. "At least now we have a plan."

"Agreed," the Aburame added, sounding a little amused. "You ready to go round some flower shops?"

Shikamaru smirked back at him. "Only if you'll buy me something nice."

"Thank you Hinata; truly," Shino nodded politely before heading for the door.

The purple haired woman was looking at him, from the nervous energy she was giving off she was clearly looking for something else to do while they were out, and he had just the thing.

"Hinata can you run a background check on anyone who has worked for those four flower shops for the two years?"

She almost looked relieved that he had given her a job.

"Oh ye-yes of co-course!"

"Thank you," the Nara gave an awkward jolt of a head nod before sticking his hands in his pockets and heading after Shino. He really didn't do well with new people.


	4. Chapter 4

Neither of the detectives thought to ask for a copy of the map she had created but as soon as they got in the car, Shino in the driver's seat, they both received another text with the four flower shops addresses.

"She is; very; efficient," Shino muttered before starting the engine and yea he had a point.

His partner parked the car outside the first address on the list that Nara immediately frowned.

"Yamanaka is the last name of our second victim."

From how tense Shino's shoulders were he knew that too.

"Pretty big coincidence that one of the flower shops is owned by one of our victim's father don't you think?"

"You do not believe in coincidences."

Shikamaru could only sigh. "No, no I don't."

As soon as they entered the cramped but colourful shop Shikamaru recognised the blue eyed, blonde haired, ponytailed man behind the counter. It killed the Nara a little when the man's eyes lit up upon seeing them, thinking they were bringing him the news that they had found his daughter's killer.

"Detectives."

"Mr Yamanaka," Shikamaru greeted back in a neutral a tone as he could to hopefully curb the older man's hope so he wouldn't fall into despair when found out why they were actually there.

"Do you have more information on my daughter?"

"I'm afraid; the case is still ongoing," Shino replied. "We are following a; different; line of investigation. We require your assistance."

"Anything," the shop owner replied quickly, looking desperate.

As soon as they were back in the car the Senior Detective spoke.

"That's a lot of names," the Nara commented flicking through the far too many pages that contained the credit card numbers used to purchase any White Tibet Roses in the last six months.

"We will be able to eliminate a lot of one time buys quickly. February was only two months ago," At Shikamaru's confused look Shino sighed. "Valentine's day."

Shikamaru clicked his teeth. "Yeap. Should have known that one."

"Yes; you should have."

"I thought we silently agreed you would be the romantic one of this team?"

Thankfully there were no issues at the second or third shops, only coming away with more endless pieces of paper with sixteen-digit numbers on them.

"We've got one more flower shop to visit. Fancy getting lunch somewhere first? I'm starving."

"That sounds like a good idea; why? I find myself; also; truly famished."

Neither detective being particularly picky about where they ate, they simply went into a cafe right beside where the car was parked.

After the waitress brought down their cold drinks Shino spoke.

"Why are you not dating anyone? In all these years I have never heard about you dating anyone."

Shikamaru leaned back in his chair with an amused look.

"Why Shino, I never knew you felt this way; it's all so sudden, what will your father say?"

Shino shot him a look telling him he was, in fact, a massive child. The Nara sighed before leaning his arms on the table.

"Do you know the two types of women who date police officers?"

It was Shino's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Two; types?"

Shikamaru 'hmm'd' in confirmation before continuing.

"The type that date you in the hopes that you leave the force for them in some sort of grand romantic gesture; and the type that wants you to use the handcuffs."

Shino's eyebrows came together at that.

"And before you ask;" Shikamaru continued with a grin. "Tenten is a handcuffs girl."

The Nara found it hilarious that Shino tried to cover his embarrassment with a cough into his fist. "And you know this because-?"

The Senior Detective sat back with a dreamy sigh.

"Oh, I _wish_ I had a vivid story about a wild weekend in Tanzaku Quarters behind that but no, it's just obvious; she loves her job at the KPD too much to expect anyone to leave it for her."

"So; what type is Hinata?"

The Nara simply shrugged. "Too early to tell."

The conversation broke off for a few seconds when the same waitress brought them their food order.

"That hunch she had about the flowers was rather brilliant; do you not think?

"She knows flowers," Shikamaru rolled his eyes, popping a chip in his mouth. "Yes, and she probably loves puppies and kittens and wanted to be a ballerina when she was growing up."

"Why is any of that a negative trait?" Shino asked back without skipping a beat. "If my memory serves me correctly you wanted to be a rock and roll star growing up."

The Nara lightly glared at his partner.

"I told you that in secret," Shikamaru pointed his fork at him then. "The point is anybody, whatever gender they are, who is so detached from reality like that is trouble."

Shino wasn't deterred. "You mean; optimistic?"

"I mean _native_."

In a smaller voice his partner countered. "Perhaps she has not seen; the things you have."

Shikamaru sighed then stabbing another chip with his fork with a little too much force. "Yea maybe you've got me there."

The Nara could tell Shino immediately felt bad for that nudge at his past when he immediately kept talking.

"I; believed; you were beginning to like her for a moment."

Shikamaru chuckled at that. "How so?"

"You; stated; you believed she did a good job."

He waited for more. "So?" 

"I do not ever remember you saying good job to anyone."

The Nara actually felt affronted by that. "I do too."

His partner was obviously not convinced, almost sounding affronted himself by Shikamaru trying to argue with him about it. "To whom? And when? Five examples Shikamaru."

"Remember when you made coffee on night shift a few weeks ago?"

Shino sighed into his glass of water before taking a sip. "You were merely being sarcastic."

"I was not, that was great coffee," Shikamaru then joked. "If you had proposed to me then I would have said yes."

"Well; thank goodness; I didn't."

He leaned in to smirk at the Aburame. "Why? Would you not enjoy a wild weekend in Tanzaku Quarters with me Shino?"

The Nara chuckled when Shino sighed again.

* * *

"This is the last shop;" Shikamaru stated when Shino parked the car across the street from the Sound Flower Shop, a strange name but then he didn't work in marketing. "You gonna buy Tenten some flowers."

Shino tapped his fingers on the steering wheel looking the other direction. "I was; debating; it."

"Right," Shikamaru smirked, that sounded like he was most definitely going to.

"I will make you a deal;" the Nara raised an eyebrow at that. "I will buy some for Tenten; if you buy some for Hinata."

Shikamaru actually tapped the back of his head against the headrest with a groan. " _No_ Shino."

"Because why?"

"Because you've been in love with Tenten for as long as you've worked at the KPD; Hinata has worked with us a whole of five minutes."

"And yet you believe; she does good work," Shino threw back, with only a slight upturn of his lips to indicate he was teasing him as he got out of the car.

Shikamaru lightly slammed the car door closed before pointing a finger at the cool as a cucumber Aburame.

"I will shoot you Shino."

Shino didn't even pause to look back at him, merely started crossing the road.

"You would not waste the bullet."

He had him there.

* * *

The last shop was older than the others, less upkept, with an older woman behind the counter this time, with grey hair, round black rimmed glasses, and emerald green eyes.

Shino reached the woman before him as he was looking around.

"Hello ma'am," the Aburame greeted respectively. "I am KPD Detective Shino Aburame; and this is KPD Senior Detective Shikamaru Nara," Shino stated showing the badge attached to his belt. "We have a few questions; if you do not mind."

"Oh, my goodness," the woman replied immediately looking worried. "Is this about my son? Is he okay?!"

"Sorry ma'am we didn't mean to frighten you," Shikamaru spoke up standing beside Shino then. "We only have some questions about certain flowers you sell."

The woman calmed slightly but looked no less confused. "The flowers I sell?"

"Are you the owner of this shop?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'm Nono Yakushi. Me and my husband opened this store nearly fifteen years ago."

"Is your husband around? So, we can speak to both of you."

The woman's eyes turned sad then.

"My husband died four years ago; cancer."

"Apologises ma'am, I did not mean to bring up bad memories," Shino added with a small nod.

Shikamaru cut in. "Do you sell White Tibet Roses?"

She blinked. "White Tibet Roses? Yes, we sell them."

"Do you keep a log of everyone who buys something from your shop?"

"Umm yes," the woman motioned to the small screen attached to her till. "This crazy device saves everything you know?"

"Could you get us a copy of everyone who has bought those white roses from your shop in the last six months?"

"Oh, umm yes of course I just-" the shop owner poked the screen a few times before pulling an embarrassed face. "Sorry I'm always so slow at this blasted thing! My son is the whiz usually."

"No problem ma'am," Shino reassured.

That made sense to Shikamaru, with how old and dated the rest of the shop was the very modern looking till screen didn't really seem to fit.

"He used to be a doctor my Kabuto!" She beamed. "I'm so glad he came back to the shop though!"

She eventually got what they were looking for and Shikamaru took the pages from the helpful lady with a thank you.

"I will meet you; in a second," Shino threw to his over his shoulder.

That made the Nara smirk.

As soon as Shino sat down, with what Shikamaru considered a rather giant bouquet of different kinds of flowers he clicked his teeth, amused.

"Holy hell Shino, how much did you-"

Shino shoved a single sunflower at him, separate from the giant bouquet of flowers he was holding.

"This is from you; to Hinata."

The Nara let his hands, holding the paper documents of the credit card numbers, angrily fall into his lap.

"Shino; just; _why_? I swear if you and Tenten are planning something I swear-"

"The only thing; I am telling you to do," his partner stressed. "Is to treat the new girl with pleasantries."

" _Fine_ ," Shikamaru huffed through gritted teeth before he shifted to take out his wallet and threw twenty bucks at Shino. "Take that, at least that way I actually bought it. Is that even enough? How much do flowers even cost?"

"See? I truly believe romance lives in you; somewhere."

"I _will_ shoot you Shino," he repeated his threat from earlier.

The Aburame gave off the feeling of still not taking him seriously.


	5. Chapter 5

"You're back!" Tenten grinned from her place hunched over a seated Hinata in the conference room.

"We were checking out flower shops," Shino informed her, he then held out the bunch of flowers to Tenten and the brown-haired girl smiled brightly. "These are for you."

"Oh, my goodness! That's so nice of you Shino! Thank you!"

As the medical doctor held the flowers to her nose and took a sniff of their scent the Nara couldn't help but notice Shino trying to suppress a face splitting smile.

Shikamaru silently held out the sunflower to Hinata making her blink and look up at him, he could see a light blush on her cheeks.

"For you," he said simply, and her blush deepened. "Welcome to the KPD."

She took and held the flower stem loosely and she smiled a happy secret smile.

"Hey!" Tenten suddenly pretended to pout then, hand on her hip. "You never bought me or Shino flowers!"

Shikamaru actually let out a small laugh at that. "I buy you sweets all the time."

Tenten looked like she was fighting off her own laughter then. "But that's a bribe so I'll do your work for you."

Shikamaru waved it off with a grin. "And I've bought Shino many things none of which can be mentioned in work or I'll get a HR violation."

He gestured to Hinata making her look a cautious interested.

"Ignore him," Tenten told the purple haired girl with a chuckle.

Hinata then turned to him, resting her forefinger on her bottom lip while she gave a timid smile.

"I have s-something for you as we-well," he raised an eyebrow at that. "I ran a background ch-check on all the employees of the flowers s-shops, and I found two cu-current employees with criminal records."

Looking into two employees sounded a whole lot more appealing than going through a small mountain off paperwork; not to mention simply it being a better lead in general.

"I love it when the bad guys can't hide," Tenten grinned.

Both detectives took seats then, Shikamaru happily casting the papers aside on the desk.

Hinata gave a small grin at that before turning fully to her laptop.

"There is a 'Zaku Abumi' from the Bells flower s-shop. He has se-several citations for soliciting prostitutes and wh-when he was a teenager, he got ca-caught looking through his next-door neigh-neighbour's window."

"Eww," Tenten stated looking like she just smelted something awful.

Shikamaru ignored her outburst. "And the other?"

"It's a Ka-Kabuto Yakushi," Hinata continued. "He was arrested for attacking his for-former employer when he was fir-fired; however, the charges were later dr-dropped."

"Alright that gives us a lot. Can you print out their records for me and Shino?"

"Ye-yes of course."

Tenten looked excited then. "I also have something!"

The Nara felt himself grin as he stretched out his legs under the table. "Oh, you girls are spoiling me now."

The bun haired woman gave a small punch to the Aburame beside her before grinning and clapping.

"Hinata focusing on the flowers had me think about the roses too and so; Chamomile Leaves!"

Hinata's forefingers came to tap against each other again like they had earlier that day in the lab.

"Like the te-tea?"

"Yes! But what else does Chamomile Leaves do?"

"Tenten; get on with it," Shikamaru deadpanned with a roll of his wrist to say 'hurry up'. Shino, as he usually did, smoothed out his edges by adding a 'please'.

Tenten gave him a childish glare before continuing.

"It makes green dye."

The Nara did actually raise an eyebrow at that, that was interesting. "As in the dye used on the roses to turn them green."

"Exactly!"

Shikamaru rolled his neck to look at the newest member of the KPD. "Hinata can you check if either the Bells flower shop or the Sound flower shop sell both the white roses and Chamomile Leaves?"

The purple haired girl turned to her laptop and was typing for several seconds before looking put out. "They b-both d-do."

"That would have been; too; easy I suppose," Shino stated then.

"But it does tell us something else;" the Senior Detective input, moving to lean forward on the conference table. "You would need to know what you're doing to be able to take real flowers and turn them into dye. Which it isn't going to be someone who just started."

Tenten nodded at the but shot Shino a playful look. "I will take your word on it Shika."

"What are their job titles?" Shikamaru then asked.

Hinata tapped a few keys on her keyboard before answering.

"Umm sh-shop assistant and co-owner," she turned to face him. "I su-suppose the co-owner is mo-more likely?"

Shikamaru shook his head to say no making her tilt her head in confusion.

"Not necessarily. I once had a shop assistant who was actually a hitman that made twenty grand a hit."

She actually covered her mouth with her hands and gasped rather loudly at that, he thought that was a bit of an overreaction.

"Are you se-serious?" She whispered looked truly amazed.

"Oh yea!" Tenten added, throwing her hands out. "Big guy; could squash your head like a beer can. I remember I needed help getting him on my autopsy table, it took four of us!"

Hinata cupped her hands to her chest then.

"How-how did you get hi-him?"

Tenten punched him in the arm that time with a grin.

"He's a heart breaker our Shikamaru."

The Hyuga looked totally confused then.

"Wh-What?"

Shikamaru thought it best to leave before he had to explain what that meant.

"Can you text me Zaku Abumi's address?" He stood then, walking towards the door. "Come on Shino."


End file.
